VR46 rider backs himself for Czechia victory despite freak injury

The VR46 rider is third in the riders’ championship and the top Ducati, closely trailing Aprilia pair Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin.

‘Diggia’ won his second-ever top-flight Grand Prix in Catalunya on May 17 despite a shock injury, and after finishing fifth in Italy, he scrambled for some more crucial championship points in Hungary, having again been the victim of bad luck.

In Barcelona, he was struck by one of Alex Marquez’s wheels when the Spaniard’s Gresini Honda was split in two during a horror crash with Pedro Acosta’s slowing KTM.

Remarkably, Di Giannantonio went on to claim his first feature race win since November 2023 despite the scare, declaring himself well in the title fight.

Last time out, he was again the victim of more bad luck as one of the riders involved in a turn one incident at Balaton Park.

Martin’s crash into the opening corner took out four other riders, including Di Giannantonio, who was the only one able to get back on his bike and continue. The Roman rider again showed his resilience to fight on and claim four points with a 12th-placed finish.

Between those Grand Prix he finished fifth in Mugello, but it’s that Marc Marquez-style resilience that will most scare Di Giannantonio’s rivals.

In the week off since, he opted for finger surgery on the Catalunya incident, and has warned his opposition in a press release that even with it still causing problems, he’s aiming for a second win of the season at the Czechia Grand Prix:

“I love the Brno track, I think it’s one of the most amazing circuits on the calendar. For sure, it’s a very different track from the last ones we raced at. I am eager to be back on track and to show our potential. So, the goal in Czechia is to fight again for the victory.

“We had some rest days, where I decided to undergo a surgical dressing of the finger that I got injured in Barcelona’s crash. For sure, we are not at our 100% with the finger, but I am ready for Brno, where we arrive in top three in the World Standing and with a lot of confidence.

“We’re working very well and we must keep on this direction. We are ready to face this weekend too.”

Di Giannantonio’s injury is certainly a unique one, which perhaps explains the delay in surgery. The 27-year-old posed in hospital with a hefty cast on his pinky, and his team confirmed it wasn’t a fracture in a statement:

“Fabio Di Giannantonio was taken yesterday afternoon for a surgical dressing of the dermis on the fifth finger of his left hand at the UPMC Salvator Mundi International Hospital in Rome.

“The procedure was performed by Dr. Ornelli with the aim of treating the injury sustained in the crash that occurred during the race in Barcelona. The recovery plan foresees that the rider of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team will take part as normal in the Czech Republic Grand Prix next week.”

Shortly before that in Hungary qualifying, ‘Diggia’ hit the tarmac, and new rules state that a rider cannot restart their bike, leading many to try and stay connected to the handlebars during softer incidents. The Italian explained he had no interest in doing so while speaking post-session:

“Mine was not stopped; it was still running. I was lucky. Honestly, with my finger at the moment, I would not risk keeping my hands on the bike if I crash. I don’t care. If I crash, I will take the bike and try to rejoin. But I think my finger is much more important.”